SOUTH WAZlRISTAN: Armed men shot and injured two men before abducting the principal of a private educational institution in Wana, Lower South Waziristan, on Monday.

According to DSP Imranullah, the armed assailants intercepted principal Rahmatullah Wazir outside the school, forced him into a car and took him away.

Sources confirmed that two bystanders were injured when the abductors opened fire during the incident.

The injured men were shifted to the district headquarters hospital Wana for treatment.

Following the incident, the school was closed and students were sent home.

Rahmatullah Wazir has also been serving as president of Wana Welfare Association.

The incident sparked a wave of protests in Wana. Thousands of students poured onto the streets, staging demonstrations and demanding the safe and immediate recovery of their principal. Dozens of private schools were also shut in solidarity, as teachers, principals, political activists and members of various social groups joined the protest.

Humayun Wazir, president of the Wana Schools Union, warned that protests would continue indefinitely if Rahmatullah Wazir was not recovered without delay.

The incident drew strong condemnation from MNA Zubair Khan Wazir. Calling the abduction `deeply tragic, alarming and condemnable,` he said such acts had once again left the people of the region with a sense of insecurity.

MNA Zubair urged the government and law enforcement agencies to ensure the early and safe recovery of Rahmatullah Wazir and takes stern action against those seeking to plunge the region back into unrest.

According to a police report, a proscribed militant outfit, Fidayan-i-Islam, had circulated a pamphlet in Wana last week, warning Rahmatullah Wazir to shut down the school.